Method of treating raw and worked textile fibers, such as jute, hemp, flax, and the like.



' ran s'rarns PATENT onnicn.

RICHARD SCHBECKENBACH, or sALzenrEn, GERMANY.

mn'rnon or 'rnna'rmenaw ann wonxnn TEXTILEFIBERS, SUCH as J'U'JLE', HEMP,

FLAX, AND THE Linn.

1,617 ,1'76. No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be. itknown that I, RICHARD SCHRECKEN- EACH, merchant, .a subject of the German Emperor, and residing "at Salzgitter, Province of Hanover, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Raw and Worked Textile Fibers, such as Jute, Hemp, Flax, and the Like, of which the following is a specification'. P

The present invention relates to a method of treating raw fibers and woven fabrics of hemp and other textile fibers.

The new method has the object to render the materials thus treated more soft and flexible andin particular'by increasing 'the' divisibility of the fiber to admit of the said fiber being spun to finer yarns of a higher number. The essential feature of the new method consists in that the respective material is treatedin a fermentingbath, to which glycerin has been added for promoting the growth of an effective organized ferment whereu on the thus treated. materials are washed in soft waterand dried. For obtaining a stillhigher divisibility of the fibers which have been exposed to the fermenting process, they are placed-after having been washed into a bath with a 1} to 3% aqueous solution of peroxid of sodium whereupon they are again washed in the hereinbefore described manner in soft water. 1

Hereinafter the meth d is exemplified .by a ,mode in which it may be carried out, the material treated being jute.

For treating about to the latter is placed in a fermenting bat-h composed of 100 liters of soft water, :5 pounds distillers yeast besides a to 1 pound of glycerin. This bath is kept at a temperature of 25 to 289 C. After fermentation-the fibers may, if they have not yet reached the desired degree of softness, be again treated.

with thesaid fermenting'bath, to which a further 5 pounds of sugar and pound of glycerin are added for strengthening it. After the material has been removed from this bath, it is washed 'in soft water and eventually dried if necessary.

The essential feature of this fermenting bath and its difference from other known fermenting processes consists in the addition of. glycerin which serves as a food for the Specification of Letters Patent.

v fermenting org'anism 'to be 69 kilos of jute of-suga-r and 3 pounds of the best gloss, softness,

added, that in itself the use of.

organized ferment has the efiect that it will dissolve the gummy material inthe fibers and lposen the bundles of cells, lea-ving the-core of the cell however intact. By this treat- Patented Feb. 13, 1912. Application filed. October 19, 1911. Serial No. 655,599. 3

produced. .This

ment a fine thin fiber is obtained which is highly divisible, and is excellently suited for being spun even up to N0. 60. Hereby the new method differs from similar, already known methods, which are partly intended to produce a woolly structure of the fiber partly to intentionally destroy the cell core entirely.- With all these known methods the: object aimed at and actually obtained by means of the present invention is not attainable, namely that a smooththin fiber is produced at an unimpaired strength against tearing. These properties must however, all-be present if a good yarn is to be produced.

The hereinbefore described method of treating jute has the advantage. over other methods hitherto known, that the incon venient admixture of crude cod liver oil or similar fats or oils can be omitted. These admixtures have been hitherto necessary, as it was otherwise not possible to give the fiber the required softness. This is the reason that in consequence of the odor ofcod liver oil adhering to the finished fabrics, the latter could not beused for many purposes, they were otherwise suited for.

As already hereinbefore mentioned, the jute fiber which has been treated according to the new method may in such cases where it is desirable to obtainan extreme divisibility, for the purpose of spinning the jute fibers to artificial silk up to No. 300 andv higher, be placed after having been washed,

into aibath of, and at the maximum a -3%- aqueous solution of peroxid'of sodium. The

fibers are left in this bath for three days, are

then again washed and further worked in any desired manner. Thus treated fibers fully resemble I I flexibility and divisibility. It may be the best silk with regard to.

peroxi d of sodium is. known as a bleaching,

medium, but not as a means for increasing the divisibil-ity.

be obtained with depends on the for lack of a suitablefermenting process.

This latter effect; by the] addition b'f'peroxid of sodium could neither the known methods as itloosening of the bundlesibf fibers,-which has'hitherto not been-possible But by the loosening of the bundles of fibers,

as it is obtained by the new method, the

sodium peroxid will be able to penetrate the fibers to such an extent, that an extreme divisibility of the fibers is obtained. The sodium peroxid added will of course also have a bleaching effect with the new method, but this accompanying eflect shall not form a part of the present invention.

It is obvious that the hereinbefore described method the application of which has been exemplified wit-h reference to jute may also be used for all other fibrous substances, such as flax, hemp, ramie and-the like.

Iclaim:

1. Method of treating raw and worked jute, flax, hemp, ramie fibers and the like,

consisting in the raw fibers and the yarns and fabrics made thereof respectively being exposed to a fermenting bath, to which glycerin is added adapted to promote the growth of an eifective organized ferment,

emme whereupon the thus treated materials are washed out in water and eventually dried.

2. Method of treating raw and worked jute; flax, hemp, ramie fibers and the like, consisting in the raw fibers and the yarns and fabrics made thereof respectively being exposed to a fermenting bath, to which glycerin is added adapted to promote the growth of an effective organized ferment, the materials being then washed in soft water and placed in a bath composed of an aqueous solution of peroxid of sodium, whereupon thethus treated materials are again washed out in water and eventually dried. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD SCHRECKENBAOH. Witnesses:

JULIUS SEoHEL, 'FRIDA BARTnLs. 

